Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for Variety(LOS ANGELES) -- Quentin Tarantino is suing Gawker after the website published a link to the script of what was supposed to be his next film, a Western titled The Hateful Eight.

In an interview with Deadline.com last week, the director said he was "very, very depressed" when the script leaked after he gave it to six people, including actors Bruce Dern, Michael Madsen and Tim Roth. Gawker later posted a story regarding the leak that included a link to the 146-page script.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tarantino's lawsuit accuses Gawker of contributory copyright infringement, arguing the site"crossed the journalistic line by promoting itself to the public as the first source to read the entire Screenplay illegally."

Tarantino says Gawker had been asked repeatedly to remove the link to the script, but did not comply.

His lawsuit seeks Gawker's profits in the amount of at least one million dollars, plus damages.

In a published response, Gawker says it simply reported the existence of the script on another website, and was not responsible for putting the script online. Citing Tarantino's Deadline interview, it further claims that "Quentin Tarantino deliberately turned the leak into a story" and that "Quentin Tarantino wanted The Hateful Eight to be published on the Internet."

Tarantino told Deadline last week he no longer plans to direct The Hateful Eight as his next project because of the leak.